Friday, December 9, 2011

It is critically important to always remember that Government Agencies are trolling the Social Media websites to investigate people applying for immigration benefits. The Electronic Frontier Foundation obtained a memorandum from the Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) stating the policy of using social media site to obtain information. The memo was titled, Social Networking Sites and Their Importance to FDNS. The memo contains specific advice to federal agents on how to "friend" a user and thereby gaining access to otherwise restricted content. The memo states that "narcissistic tendencies in many people fuel a need to have a large group of friends link to their pages."

Social media permits federal agents an excellent vantage point to observe the daily life of beneficiaries and petitioners who are suspected of fraudulent activities. "Once a user posts online, they create a public record and timeline of their activities."